Forever By Your Side
by Vampiratelady
Summary: Rin thought that she could stay by her lord forever and ever. But what would happen if there's a hidden part of her life that she never knew about? Will it change her life for the better or worse? ( RinxSesshomaru ) (Time setting : 7 years after Naraku's death)
1. Chapter 1

**Forever By Your Side**

Chapter One

The world of the youkais and world of the humans differed greatly when it comes to tradition and cultures. Although demons didn't stick too much on rituals and preferred doing things on their own ways, except of course if it was a ritual that could give them power, however, there were things that they couldn't just set aside.

For the wolf clan there was this tradition called 'mating' where the males had to take a mate within one cycle of the moon or also known as 'month of fertility'. For one month, they would have to seek the female they wanted and if there was a rival for her hand, then a brutal fight had to be ensued. That's how they woo their females, by proving to them that they're the most powerful youkai. Of course, the females had to fight the man of their choice in order to test his skills and this fight might be a tad sexual in some parts because the male would try to mount her as a show of dominance.

"Looks like you are not participating." Senri, one of the females in the wolf clan walked out of the shadows of the forest and watched the demon lord with a seductive smile on her lips. Of all the fighters in the land of the west, Lord Sesshomaru was the most sought after. Because of his noble blood and unrivaled combat skills, females flocked to him. They usually stayed a safe distance away because of his merciless personality. But this was the first time someone dared to actually approach him.

Sesshomaru stood and stared at her with an almost bored expression on his face. His silver hair swayed with the wind and the stark masculinity of his attire made her longing increase. He was always beyond her grasp, too arrogant and too powerful, Sesshomaru-sama always raised his chin at everyone. Even fighting him was an honor in itself because he rarely drew his sword unless he's very serious. And no female could ever catch his eye.

Senri ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip and leapt in the air.

"Hmp." Sesshomaru raised his clawed hand and swung at her direction but she gracefully disappeared. One of her skills was shadow manipulation, and she chose the time well. It was full moon and the shadows of the trees was a great advantage indeed. Not only could she change her appearance to a shadow but she could also mask her scent.

"Shall we play a game?" She whispered, her voice echoing throught the forest in an eerie tone. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"I can see that you're not interested, aye?" Laughing softly, she moved her shadowed form until she reached his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down to inhale his scent. "But you can't escape me that easily." Senri smiled in triumph.

"Foolish game." Sesshomaru said before she was pushed away from him with great force. She landed against a tree which almost splintered. Shock and dismay showed in her face as Senri righted her self and grabbed her injured shoulder. "You, how can you possibly move!"

The demon lord took a step towards her, his golden eyes glinting but what made Senri nervous was the look on his face, such beautiful eyes yet devoid of warmth or even emotion. He didn't even enjoy seeing her shiver in fear.

Senri watched him warily as he approached. Then he stopped and looked at his left, his eyes narrowing. Seeing the opportunity, she moved. "Don't lower your guard on me!"

"Who said I'm doing such thing?"

Her eyes widened and before she could defend herself, something cold wrapped around her neck. His poisoned whip tightened in a choking grip. Senri kicked and struggled against his hold.

"Move and you'll die."

She winched, feeling the cut on her skin as the poison started to seep through her flesh. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she spat, "Why don't you just kill me?"

He was looking away from her again, his eyes hooded with concentration before he threw her across the woods. She crashed against the ground, the soil leaving a mark where she had brutally rolled. Senri struggled on her knees and looked at his direction but he was no longer standing there.

She forced herself to stand, her limbs hurt and her neck was burning. Slowly, she raised her head and laughed. "How pathethic.." She drew her fingers through her hair and glared at the spot where she last saw him.

The demon actually spared her life.

She snorted. She should be grateful for whatever distracted him. But it left a sour taste in her mouth. Pitiful, she wasn't even worthy to die by his hands. That arrogant bastard..

...

Not far away from the woods, Rin swam frantically to the edge of the lake. "Jaken-sama!" Crying out, her hair was roughly pulled back. A low chuckle reached her ears as the demon bent low against her neck. "You smell so good." The demon whispered against her skin and followed it with a nip.

Rin struggled against his hold, disgusted to feel his tongue. Ack. The bastard dared to lick her neck. "I don't know what to do to you. Should I eat you? Or— He nuzzled her.

"Why don't you let go of me, then?" She snapped and twisted away from him only to have the demon pull her back more tightly against him. If only she had some weapon, but her dagger fell in the water because the demon took him by surprise.

There was a sound of rustling a few yards away from them and then a shadow leapt in mid air. "Ah-un!" She exclaimed but it wasn't the two-headed dragon. Silver hair and golden eyes glinted against the moonlight. The sinister presence of the demon lord made her captor gasp in fright. He instantly let go of her.

"I told you eating me was a bad idea." She said before she jumped away from him. She stepped on the large stones until she reached the ground. Sesshomaru stood beside her with his sword drawn in one hand.

From her hidden spot behind a tree, Senri watched in astonishment as the human placed a hand against Sesshomaru's arm and smiled at him. The demon lord drew his sword back to its sheath before he sent a warning glance at the demon. Then, he raised his hand and whipped his hand in the air, sending a strong gust of wind that blew the demon a few kilometers away.

"He drew his sword for that human." Senri whispered, not believing what she saw. Not only that, he held back instead of killing the demon who clearly displeased him. Her eyes trailed after the two as they walked side by side. The human was looking up at him with a smile while he listened silently.

Her curiosity increased seeing that the human wasn't at all frightened by him. Lord Sesshomaru glanced at her from time to time but didn't speak nor did he pay much attention to what she was talking about until he stopped and turned towards her.

Senri didn't even blink an eye when the demon lord pushed the woman's hair away from her neck and touched the curve with his hand. The human pouted at him and then shrugged. Now, Senri was really curious. She walked closer to them and hid behind a bush.

"But it's just a nip, my lord. He didn't even break the skin." Rin said. Senri's eyes widened. _The demon intended to mark her?_ _A human?_

"Even so." Sesshomaru said, letting his hand fall from her. "Where's Jaken?"

"He's.. asleep, my lord." Rin bent her head. "It's my fault. I didn't wake him up."

"And Ah-Un?"

"He disappeared all of the sudden. So, I went in search for him." Rin frowned, her worry for the two-headed dragon was evident on her face.

"He'll come back later." The demon lord said. It was the closest to soothing, but as always, Lord Sesshomaru refrained from showing any concern towards her. Rin nodded and they started to walk once again.

Senri's frown deepened. She'd never saw anything like this before. Human and demon interacting with each other. And it was the first time she'd ever seen a demon wanting to mark a human. When Sesshomaru looked at the woman's neck, his eyes flared but it disappeared just as quickly. If she wasn't looking at them very closely, then she wouldn't have seen it.

"Sesshomaru." She whispered with a troubled expression on her face.

_To be continued_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

I'm not a Sesshomaru x Rin fan. I really like their father/daughter relationship but one of my close friends asked me to write a story for them. But I do agree that Rin's the best person he ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**

Ohhh, I forgot this in the first chapter. But of course, I don't own anything.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Yes, this will be a great challenge for me but I'll do my best to make these two fall in love soon :) Anyway, thanks for all your reviews, I super duper love them.

...

**Chapter Two**

"You stupid girl! Where did you go?!" Jaken shouted as soon as he saw the silhouette of his master and that— that obnoxious child who knew nothing but trouble. "I was looking all over the place for you!" He swatted his staff in the air. "If anything happened to you—

Rin tilted her head to the side, her innocent brown eyes sparkling with mischief, "Master Jaken, are you worried about me?"

"No!" The green headed demon sputtered indignantly. "I was worried about myself, you arrogant brat! If anything happened to you, Lord Sesshomaru will surely kill me! He'd cut me into tiny little pieces and then feed me to the— oww." Jaken's eyes swirled as he slumped forward after receiving his master's punch in the head. A lump half the size of his face appeared on the bruised part while Rin tried to hide her smile behind a fisted hand.

"What are you laughing at?! If Lord Sesshomaru wasn't so fond of you then—" The green headed imp fell on the ground, unconscious. A small rock rolled near his prone form while another lump appeared on his head.

Rin shook her head and then exhaled a sigh of exasperation before she lifted Jaken off the ground. Finally, they settled down against a tree with the fire crackling a few yards away. "You never learn." Rin admonished while she applied the ointment with a smack on the imp's head.

"Hey! That hurts! Are you trying to kill me?!" Jaken exclaimed before he looked over his shoulder to send a threatening glance at Rin who was kneeling behind him with a bunch of leaves in one hand and a small medicinal bottle in the other.

"Well, you're already used to it. If only you'd keep your mouth shut. Then, I wouldn't have to treat your poor head." Rin looked at the swollen spot with concentration. "I'd say you're getting too old. Normally, you wouldn't faint even if Lord Sesshomaru punched the hell out of you."

"I-I'm not old! That's ridiculous!" Jaken said and crossed his arms. "Demons have a long lifespan. It'll take hundreds of years before our body weaken. And I'm certainly young enough!"

Rin made a scoffing sound before she smacked his head with the herbal once again.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He said through clenched teeth.

"Why, of course." Rin said with a sweet, teasing smile. "I'd probably die before you're _old _enough, so I have to enjoy even these kind of moments." She smoothed the makeshift bandage on his head. Jaken became silent all of the sudden, his expression was almost wistful if weren't for the stinging ointment on his head which made him look as if he's on a torture rack.

"Hmmp. Don't say such things."

"Are you going to miss me, Master Jaken?" Rin looked over his shoulder and then smiled teasingly at him.

"That traitorous Ah-Un certainly will." He looked away with a huff.

"Speaking of which, where did he go?"

"He's probably looking for a mate." Jaken muttered as he looked up at her with irritation. "He's too tired to babysit you all the time."

Rin looked at the forest with an amused expression on her face. "A mate?" Then, she looked back at Jaken. "You mean a wife?"

"No... a mate is a bit different to a wife in terms of human traditions that is." Jaken said with hesitancy. She's eighteen years old for goodness sake and she had been travelling with them for years now and she didn't know what a mate is?

Rin scrunched up her face to a frown of confusion. "What's the difference?"

"Don't ask me! I'm going to take a rest now. Go and annoy someone else." Jaken said grumpily before he jumped on his feet.

"I bet you don't know because you don't have one." Rin said in a sing-song voice, she too was standing up as she batted the dirt on her knees.

"Impertinence!" Jaken said and swatted at her with his staff. Rin sprinted on a run as they circled the fire, her laughing face glowing under the warm light while Jaken continued to pursue her.

"What an odd company Sesshomaru has." Senri mused out loud her hands holding the branch of tree in front of her. She kept her body hidden in the shadows or else the demon lord would detect her and if it weren't for her ability to mask herself, she couldn't possibly get any closer.

"Ah!" Rin exclaimed before stopping in her tracks. "I forgot something." She looked at the demon, her eyes blinking in surprise.

Jaken bumped against her legs. "What?! You're going to run off on your own again?"

"What is it?" Sesshomaru glanced at them, his back resting against a bark of a tree while he watched the two argue with each other again. Rin was gesturing her hands while Jaken was waving his staff in the air.

After a few heated seconds, Jaken finally turned to face his master. "Rin lost the dagger, Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken bowed while Rin hissed at him to keep quiet. Then, she placed her fisted hands against her hips and scowled at his triumphant smirk.

"I know exactly where it is!" Then with a less confident, she said, "I just forgot to get it."

"Hmp. If you know how important that dagger is, you wouldn't dare forget it!"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru cut in.

The said imp swallowed before he turned to his master dutifully. "Y-yes, my lord?" He folded his hands in front of him and looked at Sesshomaru's golden eyes which seemed to be burning a hole at his head. "I-I'll go and retrieve the dagger now, my lord."

He was about to turn around, but instead, he jumped in surprise when the demon lord stood. Jaken quickly knelt on the ground and bowed his head repeatedly. "I'm sorry, my lord. I shouldn't have slept and let Rin out of my sight. Please spare my life, my lord. I will not repeat the same mistake again.."

After a few silent moments, he hesitantly raised his head. He's alive.. He's alive! Oh! He's ali—

"My lord?" Jaken stared at the departing figure of Sesshomaru who was already a few yards away from them. Then, he looked up at Rin with a quizzical frown on his face. "Did he know where to look?"

Rin shrugged.

...

Sesshomaru gazed at the lake with unfathomable eyes before he darted a glance over his shoulder.

"Are you looking for this?" Senri said, her legs hanging over a thick branch of a tree. Clasped in her hand was a dagger with a crescent moon carved in the middle. "Ah, is that glare a 'yes'?" She smiled at him as she juggled the dagger in her hands.

The demon lord turned to face her. "I see, you finally decided to show yourself."

Senri's breath hitched at his exquisite gold eyes. He was a beautiful beast. Too bad, he preferred simpering humans rather than a powerful demoness like her.

"You wanted to see me that bad?"

"Hmp."

"You're not the talkative one like your brother, aren't you?" She mused. Inuyasha was known for his boastfulness and recklessness. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was stoic and had the disturbing tendency to observe his opponent with unreadable face.

"Talking.." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.

".. is a waste of my time." He said at the same time his poisoned whip sliced at the tree. Senri jumped away from the branch. It was too close. She nearly got her head chopped off. If it weren't for her ability to see clearly in the dark, she would have ended up with a very serious wound. Damn that Sesshomaru.

"My, aren't we impatient?" She landed on the ground and dashed to the left when his poisoned whip curved once again. "Aren't you going to use your sword?"

"No need. I can kill you without it." Sesshomaru raised his hand once again.

"Now, you want to kill me?" She scoffed. Avoiding his attack. "You should have done that hours ago!" she jumped and threw a black whip of her own which clashed against his. "But I guess you got pretty distracted." She smirked at him, "By a human, no less."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and pulled at the whip before he drew his sword and wrapped the tip around it. An ephemeral glow flowed from the sword and into the whip until it enveloped Senri who instantly fell on her knees, her hand dropped the dagger on the ground while her other hand flew to her throat, gasping. "W-what's this?.. I can't breathe."

Sesshomaru stopped beside her and took the dagger before he walked away.

Senri gritted her teeth. "You bastard! You dare turn your back on your enemy. You're a pompous one aren't you?" Glaring at his back, she quickly moved but her numb legs failed her.

Sesshomaru looked at her sideways, his eyes was partially hidden beneath his bangs. It was cold as if he wasn't moved by the obvious victory in his hands.. unlike the way he gazed at the human.

Senri clenched her hands. "Sesshomaru.." Her voice trembled. "That girl, who is she to you?"

"She means nothing to me." Sesshomaru's far away voice reached her ears, she didn't expect him to answer. In fact, she almost wished that he would deny knowing what she was talking about.

"Nothing?" Senri snorted, her eyes closing. "I don't believe you.."

_To be continued_

...

AUTHOR's NOTE

Here it is! I know Jaken and Rin fight a lot but those two adore each other in their own way. Sesshomaru's denial as always but deep down he likes Rin A LOT! Oh, and about the dagger. Sesshomaru gave her a dagger made from his own fang. It was forged by Totosai. You'll see the powers of the dagger soon.

And Senri? Well, she's in love with Sesshomaru. She wouldn't pursue him if she wasn't. Poor Senri, Sesshomaru's already taken. And did she die? I don't know.. (Hehehe) I'll think about it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The sun was high up in the cloudless sky by the time they saw a nearby village in the distance. The smoke coming from one house, however, was thick and dark and very noticeable from their vantage point.

"Looks like there's some trouble there." Rin said while munching the juicy fruit in her hand, the other was wrapped around the branch of a tree while she continued to have another mouthful bite and another until the sweet juice fell from her chin and landed on top of Jaken's head.

"Hey! Don't you dare spit on me, you ungrateful child!" As always he ended up watching out for Rin. He promised that he wouldn't even blink an eye while Lord Sesshomaru was out somewhere doing his usual mysterious business which Jaken didn't know— and most likely wouldn't know— about. He just told them not to explore too far but what he really meant was: do not let Rin run out of your sight or else you shall not see the sun again.

Jaken shuddered. Why did Lord Sesshomaru even want to linger around a human village, anyway? There's nothing worth to be found in here.

"Hey, Master Jaken!"

"What now?! Can't you see I'm thinking?!"

"Here!"

"Wha?— He looked up and was greeted by a large and rather round object smashing right on his face. He fell on his back with a yelp while Rin giggled not far away from him as she stepped back on the ground.

"Watch where you're throwing!" The green headed imp shouted at Rin while his hand rubbed his stinging face.

"I told you to catch it." Rin smiled cheekily.

"You most certainly did not!" Jaken said with a glare at her smiling face. Then, he grasped the object that she threw at him and shook it angrily at her direction. "You expect me to eat something like this?"

Ah-Un, who returned a few hours ago, nudged at his hand before he took a bite of the fruit. Jaken instantly let go of it and then glared at the teeth mark on the tip of his finger. "Traitorous beast." He grumbled under his breath.

"Fine. Suite yourself." Rin shrugged. "But don't go complaining to me when you're dying."

An hour passed by, the temperature was even worse than before. There's no wind, not even a breeze and the heat was already emitting from the ground. It was almost unbearable and Jaken instantly regretted that he didn't eat nor drink anything for the last nine hours.

Sesshomaru returned without any news, as usual. He was not even bothered by the weather even though his attire looked suffocating enough for Jaken.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Rin called. The demon lord glanced at her. "I'm thirsty." Of course, she was not asking Lord Sesshomaru to give her some water but rather, she was asking permission if she could go and get it herself. But still that left Jaken with his usual task to guard her.

"Hey, Master Jaken! Let's go." Rin gestured with her hand and he, as always, complained at first but followed her anyway. If he opened his mouth, Lord Sesshomaru would only punish him.

"He'd allow her free reign whereas I, Jaken, wasn't even allowed to leave even for a minute." He muttered to himself. "That ungrateful dog, I've been serving him far longer, and further more, I'm not a hostage prone like— huh?" He looked around. Rin was no longer in sight.

'Oh no! Lord Sesshomaru will— Lord Sesshomaru wiiill!—"

"What is it, Jaken?"

The green headed imp turned to stone at the sound of his master. Walking a few feet away was Sesshomaru who didn't even pay attention to him, his eyes strained to the woods with calmness. Then just as quickly, Jaken knelt on the ground and covered his head with his arms. "I'm so sorry, Lord Sesshomaru but that girl is very willful and not to mention, reckless."

"She knows how to fight."

"Eh?" Jaken's head tilted to the side with his mouth agape. "But then why did you insist that I guard her all the time?"

"You know what happens when you ask me stupid questions." Sesshomaru raised his clawed hand, a gesture which made Jaken visibly pale.

"O-of course, my lord." Mumbling incoherently, Jaken followed his master until they reached a clearing. In deed, Rin was there but there was another human with her as well and he seemed to be kneeling at her feet for some odd reason.

"Rin! What are you doing?!" Jaken ran to her side.

"A youkai?" The human stared in imminent shock as Jaken pointed his staff at him. Sesshomaru stopped a few feet away, his listless eyes scanning the trees around him while he listened to their conversation.

"Wait, Master Jaken." Rin intervened. "He didn't want to harm me." Then her expression turned to a quizzical frown. "But he did call me 'princess', though."

"Princess?" Jaken looked at her confusion before he returned his eyes to the human. Raising his staff threateningly, he said. "You! Explain yourself!"

The human raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Umm. I'm clearly mistaken. Please put the staff away. I didn't mean to harm her."

When Jaken didn't move, he exhaled a sigh and stood up awkwardly which seemed to annoy the demon more because he was now towering over him. "Come on! We don't have all day!" Jaken shook his staff impatiently.

"Well, our princess, Akemi-hime sama, was missing for weeks. And your companion here," He glanced at Rin, "looks exactly like her. But she said that she's not a princess but rather a servant."

"Well, it's true, she isn't." Jaken said. "She's Lord Sesshomaru's." As always, he said his master's name with such emphasis that Rin couldn't help but smile in exasperation.

"Yes. I'm not a princess." She said with a benevolent tone. But the solemnity of her statement quickly disappeared to a wide grin. "In fact, I'm quite the opposite."

"Hmmm." The human said. This time, he observed her more seriously and he was even more nervous than before. "But I still have to confirm it."

"What?! She already said that she's not a princess!" Jaken glared at him which he completely ignored. He continued to look at Rin nervously, his brown eyes darkening.

"Don't worry. I just need to know something." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Do you have a flower shaped birthmark on your right chest?"

"She doesn't have one!" Jaken shouted dismissively before turning around. But Rin only stood, rooted on the spot. She raised a hand to her chest and then frowned at the man, her worry evident in her eyes. "Yes. I have."

Jaken's jaw slackened in shock, then he whipped his head around to look at her. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, then quickly, he touched the hilt of his sword as soon as the ground quaked, the trees rustled violently around them and the birds flew wildly to the sky.

"Hiromi-sama!" Three armed humans ran out of the trees and stopped as soon as they saw the demon lord, then their eyes landed on Rin who was watching them cautiously.

"Hime-sama!" Their wide eyes stayed on her until the man in front of her named Hiromi raised his hand and shook his head. "She's not the princess." There's an unmistakable sadness in his eyes before he covered it with quickly.

"What happened?" He addressed to the soldiers.

"The demons! They attacked the village!"

"Damn it!" He clenched his hands. "There's no other way, is there?"

Rin took a step back when suddenly, he reached out. He was able to catch her kimono instead and tugged on it violently. Rin pulled at his hand and kneed him in the stomach, then she did a summer sault which shocked Jaken more than the fact that someone tried to hurt her.

"Hiromi-sama!" The three men ran for his aid but they quickly stepped back when Sesshomaru appeared right in front of Rin with his sword in one hand. His narrowed eyes landed on them. Anger rising, he raised his word but Hiromi clutched at his feet with a sob. "Please don't kill them. They're innocent people. If there's someone you have to kill, it's me."

"You disrespectful human! How dare you talk to Lord Sesshomaru like—

"Silence." Sesshomaru said. Jaken bowed his head submissively. "Yes, my lord."

Sesshomaru lowered his sword. "Who attacked your village?" His tone was more commanding than inquiring that Hiromi answered quickly, "They're ravens who kept pestering our village for decades. They wanted a sacrifice or else they'll hurt everyone and leave no one alive. But our princess was missing and—

"You're princess?!" Jaken cut in, his angry face seething in outrage. "You want to sacrifice your own princess?! And you call yourself a human?!"

"It's not like we have a choice!" Hiromi shot back with a desperate tone. "They asked for sacrifices for forty years and we gave them what they wanted. At first, they only wanted our animals and crops. But when a child disappeared twenty years ago, they've been asking for a human sacrifice."

"A sacrifice you say?" Sesshomaru asked before he sheathed his sword.

"Yes. And If we decline, then they will attack the entire village."

Sesshomaru snorted. "Pathethic demons."

"Yes, that's right!" Jaken instantly agreed while the humans stared at him in shock. He called their decades-long enemy 'pathetic', and he seemed to find their methods disgusting. Of course, for demons it was a normal reaction since they're very conceited and arrogant and Lord Sesshomaru was one of the most powerful ones which made his self-respect hundred times higher.

"Such petty methods. It only shows how weak they are." He said with such coldness that even Jaken swallowed nervously. Then, with a last glance at the human he turned around and began to walk away.

"Amazing as always, Lord Sesshomaru. But you're not going to kill them?" Jaken said as he stepped behind his master. Rin followed closely, her hand was still clutching her chest.

"Hmp. There's nothing to gain by killing them. It's not even worth my time." The demon lord said before he glanced at Rin who was unusually quiet. "Rin—

"Please help us!"

Looking back at the humans, Sesshomaru said icily. "Why should I?"

Hiromi stood from the ground, his face was deathly serious. "Because those demons will go after your human companion."

"Oh?" Sesshomaru turned around and regarded the human with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"She," Hiromi glanced at Rin. "has the birthmark which only appears once she reached a certain age." Then with a darker tone, he said. "She's cursed to die by the next full moon— sacrificed or not."

_To be continued._

_..._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Alrighteey! This story is becoming more and more intense than my usual preference in writing. But if I have to choose, I'd pick action/adventure rather than drama. So you'll read a lot of fighting for the next chapters. But I like where it's going and as you've noticed I'm rather slow about S/R because I want to make it as natural as I can manage.

**Can Sesshomaru afford to lose Rin for the third time? Why are they calling her 'Princess' anyway? And What's this curse all about?**

**FIND OUT SOON!**

P.S: I love the part when Jaken said "She's Lord Sesshomaru's." Awww. How I'd like to write, _"Yes, she's mine."_ But it's not the right time yet. But soon, my dears, he will claim what's rightfully his.


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

To my dear reviewers,

I want to thank all of you for reading this story. Your reviews made me really happy and inspired me to write. I hope that you'll be pleased with this chapter. Thank you, and God bless :)

..

**Chapter Four**

"Have you secured the gates?"

"Yes, Hiromi-sama."

Hiromi nodded. Then, with a tired sigh, he raised his gaze to the dark sky and the half crescent moon peeking from the clouds. His eyes darkened as he recalled the stricken expression on the woman's face when he said the words 'cursed' and 'die'. He felt guilty to have used such a forceful method in order to gain a bit of leverage to the demons attacking the village. That Lord Sesshomaru certainly looked powerful enough to defeat them but Hiromi's quite afraid that he had angered him in some way. Well, he's obviously irritated when he broke out the news of Rin's impending doom. Those cold eyes— he still couldn't believe how he managed to stay alive much less muster the strength to talk, not to mention that a certain small demon always cut in.

"Umm. My lord?"

Hiromi looked back at the soldier who was looking at something beyond his shoulder. He turned around and saw the small demon with the strange staff as he sat outside the room where Rin was staying. Jaken glanced at them with narrowed eyes before he looked away.

"Is it okay to have that demon around?" The soldier said with a nervous frown. Hiromi smiled at him reassuringly. "Yes, he's guarding his companion and he would protect this place as well."

The soldier gave a cursory nod but his expression didn't change. Hiromi eyes faltered, his people grew up with tremendous fear. If only Hiromi could erase that but as long as the ravens exist, they would never live in peace.

As they walked along the hallway, Hiromi stopped when they were close enough to the demon while the soldier beside him stepped away and feigned a blank face before he continued on his way to patrol the area. Jaken watched him leave until Hiromi broke the silence, "May I?" He gestured to the closed sliding doors.

The demon stared at him for few seconds before he finally turned away with a huff. "Go ahead, but remember that we, demons, have a strong sense of hearing, unlike you, weak beings, whose senses are far inferior and often times worthless in many occasions."

Hiromi nodded with a hesitant smile. This demon sure had a way with words, unlike his master who preferred glaring his will on the person rather than opening his mouth to talk. But nonetheless, his statement was a warning, and he had every intention to take it seriously.

Hiromi walked inside the room and left the doors slightly ajar before he turned around to look at the woman's back as she gazed at the scroll in the corner, her innocent brown eyes had a far away expression on them.

"Hime-sama." He said, and quickly chided himself when she glanced wearily over her shoulder. He called her princess again which obviously irked her. Ah, he only wanted to take that sad expression on her face and so he opened his mouth without thinking. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me, my lady."

Rin shook her head before she graced him with a small smile. "It's alright."

"Are you comfortable here?"

Rin blinked at him. "Ah, yes, my lord."

"Do you need something else? Food? Drink? Please, tell me and I will gladly fetch it for you."

"No, my lord. I'm fine. There's no need for you to bother."

He smiled. "Please, you may address me by my name."

Rin looked at him speculatively before her gaze roamed around the room. Before she looked back at him, however, Hiromi made a few observation of his own and noted with great interest that she had a very innocent and beautiful face. "But, it's only proper that I call you the way you're supposed to be called. Doesn't this house belong to the head of the village?"

He shook his head, noticing her silent appraisal. "No need, I'm not a noble, well, not anymore anyway. And my house is scarcely a palace nor does it look good enough. In fact, this place had been left untreated for so long. The ceilings, walls, and floors looked as if they had seen better days."

She smiled at his diffident tone. "It's okay. Your house looks fine," Then, she brushed the tips of her fingers over the arragement of flowers in front of the scroll in such a feminine way that made Hiromi even more aware of her. "And don't worry. I lived in far worse."

Hiromi breathed a sigh of relief or more like wonderment before he sat across from her. "That's right, you travelled with those two. It must be quite hard for you."

Rather than thank his sympathy, Rin looked slightly befuddled, instead. "Ah, no. That's actually before I met them."

"Really?" Hiromi stated in astonishment. "I'm quite surprised."

"Lord Sesshomaru saved me from a dreadful life." She said nonchalantly, her face was so serene that he was slightly entranced by the mere expression. He wanted to know her more and before he knew it, they were already talking about her life. She didn't hesitate when he asked her question about herself. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself but soon her enthusiasm made him doubtful.

"Don't you want to know more about that mark on your body?"

She stiffened before her smile faded while his took a swift turn from mildly astonished to sympathetic upon realizing that she was actually stalling. She tried to steer the conversation away, but Hiromi couldn't blame her fretfulness. He would react the same way if he was in her shoes.

"To tell you the truth," Rin began with a bit of hesitation. "I'm actually afraid to know more about it." Then, she ended her statement with a helpless smile which took him by surprise, and he instantly regretted having said those words in such a callous way.

"I'm sorry for scaring you back then." He bent his head in supplication, referring to their first meeting.

"I'm sure you did it for a good reason."

"But!— He protested, but upon seeing the serene expression on her face, he swiftly looked away with a frown. "You don't hate me? I forced your demon companion to help me. Aside from that, I can just sacrifice you instead of our princess."

Rin chuckled, the unexpected sound made him whip his gaze back to her. "Forced?" She smiled at him. "Lord Sesshomaru do not accept anyone's bidding aside from his own. And sooner or later he will come back to save me, and if he didn't, I can always survive in my own way." She shrugged while Hiromi nearly dropped his jaw. Indeed, her simplicity amazed him, but he got the feeling that she was only saying those things to comfort him or herself.

"Alright, how about this? I will not scare you again. I will only answer whatever you wanted to know." He said with an earnest expression on his face. Well, at least he owe her that much consideration.

Rin pondered his words for a moment before she finally nodded. "Alright. Why did you call me _princess_?"

"You and Akemi-sama looked exactly alike. When I saw you by the river, I never thought that you're.. someone else."

"I see." She said hesitantly. "So, I'm like a duplicate of your princess."

Hiromi nodded. "Well, she's your sister." Then, he jerked back with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I promised not to answer—

Rin waved her hand in the air, "It's quite obvious. There's no need to apologize." Then, she paused for a moment, her eyes darkening. "And you said that she's missing?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She disappeared a few days after she turned eighteen. After that the demon lord of those greedy vultures said that if we failed to give them a sacrifice by the end of the spring, they would slaughter everyone in our village and leave no one alive." He clenched his hands into fists, "We looked for her everywhere but we found nothing."

Rin looked at him with sadness and utmost concern. "You mentioned that your village's been suffering forty years? What happened?"

"Well, a man arrived in our village forty years ago. He met my grandfather's daughter, Lady Kazusa, and they fell in love with each other but it turned out that he was not a human, but rather, a powerful heir to a demon clan.." Hiromi's paused hesitantly, his eyes darkened. Then, he looked at her with such anxiety, and it instantly dawned on her that he was about to unravel the hidden part of her past.

Rin visibly stiffened in her place before she closed her eyes and strove for composure. "What happened next?"

"Are you sure?" He said.

"I don't want to hear it," She whispered before she grazed him with a soft smile. "But it's better to hear the truth than take a guess, right?"

He smiled in return. "I see your point." Folding his hands on the table, he sat up straighter and continued the story but he kept his gaze on the dark surface of the table. "Lady Kazusa became pregnant and gave birth to twins."

"..She became pregnant?" Rin repeated with a blank expression on her face.

"Yes."

"So, you're saying that I'm.."

He bent his head in anguish. "Yes."

_A demon's child._

_To be continued_

_.._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

TADAAAA! Hehe. This chapter's filled with suspense, eh? I want to grant Rin's wish to be with Lord Sesshomaru forever and ever, so I turned the story this way.

**(Gasp) Rin's not completely a human after all. But why didn't anyone (not even Sesshomaru) notice? Does it has something to do with the curse? And where's Sesshomaru anyway?**

Alriiight. Sesshomaru's missing and to top it off, he left Rin in the company of Hiromi who's obviously enamored of her. But just like what Rin said, he'll come back and save her. Awww, she's so faithful to him. But anyways, my purpose in this chapter is to show a mature side of rin, although, I wanted to keep her innocence and very serenity and, of course, her compassionate personality.

BUT! (Hehe) In retrospect, I just wanted to write how charming she is and how she could make a man besotted with just a simple smile. And I wanted to use Sesshomaru's stoic persona in this story, because he's naturally that way. BUT! I'm sure he will not be able to remain that way for long. (devious smile, *wink* *wink*) Now that there's someone who might take Rin away from him. (Ehem *whisper* _Hiromi), _what would our dear demon lord do?

Please stay tune for the next chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

. . . .

_There it was, the smell of fear became stronger and stronger. He could feel it, completely that it engulfed his whole mind and sent his senses reeling. The black wings on his shoulder folded back before it disappeared as he landed on the ground just a few feet away from the woman— his mate._

_"Anata.." She whispered, her innocent black eyes shimmering with sadness. Then, he was beside her in an instant, his arms wrapping around her as if he wanted to absorb her pain. "Kazusa.." Gently, gingerly, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "My love.. what's wrong?"_

_"We have to leave.." She said against his neck. "We can't stay here any longer."_

_He drew back from her, his eyes wide with surprise and torment. His mate loved her family so much and for her to say such things.. something must have happened. Anger and the a strong surge of protectiveness rose inside him. "Did Higeshi threaten you again?"_

_She shook her head. "No. He didn't do anything this time."_

_"Then, why are you so afraid?" He said._

_Kazusa remained silent, there's no use hiding what she felt from this man. He knew her mind, her heart.. her soul. The yearning to be with him at all cost despite the great difference between their worlds. "Tell me.. please." He whispered._

_Kazusa knew that he could always force the answer from her and yet he had chosen the lesser choice and even pleaded. _

_This man, who's more powerful and far stronger than any human, would be so gentle with her.._

_Determindly, she raised her head and gazed at his blue eyes. "I'm carrying your child." She swallowed with difficulty as if it took all her strength to bring the words out of her mouth. He leaned head down, their cheeks side to side, and with a shaky breath, tightened his hold. "I'll protect you and the babe.. no matter what."_

_"I know.." She bit her lip and clutched his shoulders in a painful grip. "I know."_

_Kazusa rested against his solid body, allowing all of her restraint to fall away as if to blindly hope for a promise that had no definite chance of coming true. She knew without a doubt that he would protect her, but in her mind, she could still hear her father's words. 'Get rid of the child!.. do anything. Just get rid of that monster'. It hurt more than she had thought. Her father whom she loved and looked up to would think that any child born from her womb would be a monster.. a killer._

_. . . ._

"My Lord.."

The leaves rustled violently, a small woman with hawk like eyes and shoulder length hair the color of dark coals walked out of the shadows of the forest. Her body was painted with a bird with black wings made of fire on one shoulder and across her upper arm with its tail curving around and around her forearm and wrist. Aside from the tattoo, the rest of her skin was covered in a thick dark brown leather. Her other shoulder was covered by a simple iron plate the shape of a claw while her other arm was cloaked in a dark loose sleeve that reached past the tips of her fingers. She had an iron scaled thigh protector with a rope belt where her sword hang diagonally by her hips. And a pair of loose knee length trousers that was tied by ribbons for her upper legs while a tight fitted greaves covered the rest of her skin. She was, however, barefooted like the man in front of her.

"Yori, what brings you here?" The man said without a backward glance. His attire resembled what she was wearing, but there's no tattoo in his arm.

The woman bent her head as she knelt on one knee. "There's someone who wants to see you, my lord."

He stepped sideways and looked at her with interest. "I hope this is worth my time."

"Oh, I assure you it is." He pivoted on his heels and faced the woman who just made an unceremonious entrace. "Although," The stranger continued, her dark gray hair swayed past her hips. Pale blue eyes stared back at him as she sauntered past the kneeling woman. Those wolf like eyes were glinting with barely repressed amusement before she stopped just a few yards away from him. "This is certainly worth mine than yours."

Her lips curved into a lopsided smile, "Lord Hageshi of the Suzaku clan."

The man chuckled at the forthright irreverence in her tone and wrinkled his nose in disdain. "Ahh, you're one of those pups." He said. "It seems that dog general forgot to put you in a proper leash before he died."

Senri snorted. "Your sharp tongue is just as they claimed it to be. My dear mother said you nearly cut off her heart with it. God bless her soul for not taking that said part to her grave."

A few steps behind her, Yori stood and grabbed the hilt of her sword. Hageshi raised his brow in amusement and then motioned for Yori to back off. "Are we done trading insults, dog? Or should we draw our swords next?"

"Maybe some other time." She shrugged casually. "I didn't come here to shed some blood."

"And your motive?" He asked with blase indifference.

"For entertainment, of course," came her casual reply.

"Which is?"

"The human girl you've been searching for." She said with a knowing glint in her eyes while his narrowed cautiously. "I met her, not too long ago."

"Oh, did you?" He said just as casually, though his virulent eyes sharpened ever so slightly at her words.

"Pua Reinga." She said. "An ancient curse, I must say. I was wondering how did she acquire such a mark, though. I thought it only worked on demons." Her smile widened while Higeshi's humor disappeared like a bubble popping at the tip of a very sharp needle. His eyes darkened as he regarded her with a predatory look,

"Ahh, and how did you acquire such a knowledge? Last time I remember, the one who invented it died with my sword protruding from her back."

Senri watched as the expression on his face changed from serious to downright sadistic. She nearly cringed in disgust. "I'm not interested in your historical and rather gruesome family background, my lord." She said. "And it's not wise to kill me when I have something interesting to share."

"I'm waiting." He said impatiently and placed a hand over the hilt of his sword in a casual way, however, Senri didn't miss the threat and backed up a step.

"If you want to capture the girl," She said. "Then, you have to listen to what I say.."

Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder at the forest behind him as the rain started to fall. Though it was moderately light and no where near a storm, the air became frigid, thus making it harder for him to decipher the mixture of scents around him. But he did recognize one smell, and it came with two other unfamiliar ones.

He stepped away from the small rocky hill and walked to the forest. The smell became stronger as the forest became denser. Larger and wider trees now surrounded him as they scattered shadows in all directions while the musky smell of swamp permitted through his senses and momentarily distracted him. But he went onward, uncaring of the small demons that crossed his path.

One demon in particular watched Sesshomaru with wariness and fear that bordered on agnostic as he hid behind a tree. "Don't tell me he's going to.." He murmured but he was cut off in the middle of his assumption when his companion whacked him lightly in the head.

"Shhh." She said to him.

"But that direction is—" again, another whack but this time it was stronger and the demon threw an irritated glance at her. "He can hear you." She whispered.

They're small in size— no, the two were puny. Their heads reached only a human's waist and most of their faces was covered by a fiery mass of red hair and the pointed tips of their ears were the only visible parts aside from their noses and mouths. Also, they had wings at the back, the upper one was larger and roundly elongated while the other one was round with a thin lace that seemed to be flowing and woving around their bodies like ribbons. Short and pale arms poked out of a sleeveless vest made of sheepskin while a pair of trousers tightly tied at the ankles covered their legs.

"Hey mister," A third demon which seemed to have popped out of nowhere called at Sesshomaru. She was a head smaller and chubbier than the two but seemed to be wearing the same clothes. Although her hair was a lighter shade of red and longer, there's no doubt that she came from the same brood.

"Where are you going?" She said.

"Eiko!" The two red haired demons exclaimed as they leapt out of their hiding spot. The smaller demon glanced at them innocently before she trotted closer to Sesshomaru who ignored her completely as he kept on walking, but still she persisted.

"It's dangerous to go there, ya know?" She said, her voice louder.

"Eiko!" Her demon companions called once again, "Stay away from him!" But the Eiko kept on walking closer and closer until she was an arm away from the demon lord.

"Don't go." She said to him.

Sesshomaru remained silent. "It's dangerous. There eats a big monster. He's really scary." She said with mild difficulty, as if she just started to learn how to talk. Then, her plump lips curved to a pout upon realizing that the demon wasn't particularly paying attention to her.

"Eiko!"

"Quiet!" The little demon barked at them, her face turning serious for a split second. Surprisingly, they did obey, but the little demon didn't miss their grumbled complaint as they fell a few steps behind. She huffed and showed her displeasure with a scowl at their direction before she turned back to the demon.

"He ate this girl." She said in hopes that he would listen to her, though she wasn't as cheerful as before. "She's very pretty. Eiko wanted to help her. She's kind and.." She trailed off, her nose wrinkling a few times before she raised her head and looked around like she was searching for something. Then, she moved closer to Sesshomaru and sniffed, her nose nearly burrowing against his mokomoko.

Sesshomaru glanced at her while the other two demons paled to a great extent, but Eiko seemed oblivious, in fact, she did it again as if to confirm something.

"You smell like her." She said in a starled tone and stared up at Sesshomaru. And because of the closer proximity between them, she had to pull her head all the way back until she was practically facing the sky.

"You smell like her." She repeated, awestruck. "Is she alive?" She said excitedly.

Sesshomaru glanced at her once again, this time the usual jaded look on his face disappeared and was replaced with curiosity. It was subtle, almost imperceptible but Eiko knew that she said something interesting. She continued to sashay from left to right like a child who couldn't wait to hear his reply.

Then the branches started to rattle around them and the leaves to rustle violently. A very strong gust of wind struck them right after and she was thrown several feet away. She shrieked and tried to brace herself.

She crashed against something soft and warm though, and when she opened her eyes, Eiko saw a white fluffy piece of fur encasing her securely.

Blinking her eyes in confusion, Eiko looked up and saw silver strands of hair and a pair of golden eyes. Those eyes narrowed before he disappeared like a lightning flash. She held onto the bark of the tree with all her might as the winds continued to blow like a torpedo around them.

With Bakusaiga drawn in one hand, Sesshomaru deflected the broken branches of trees flying at his direction with a single wipe of his poisoned whip. The wind grew even more stronger which slowed him down and nearly prevented him from going further. Quickly, he raised his arm and impaled Bakusaiga deep in the ground, his feet burying against the soil as the wind blasted some of the trees away from its firm roots.

Then, the wind stopped quite all of a sudden. And the forest became silent as a grave except for the eerie sound of bells clinking softly, louder and louder at the same time a mist filled with miasma slowly plodded through the forest like snakes.

Eiko wrinkled her nose at the putrid smell and quickly climbed the tree.

"Eiko! Where are you?!" Her companions shouted a few distance away behind her. She coughed against the smell of decaying flesh and placed her hand over her lower face to keep herself from retching. The plants below started to wither because of the smell.

"Eiko! Let's go now!" The red headed demons said furiously.

Turning around, she sent a worried glance over her friends and reeled back at the horrified expression on their faces. Frantically, she swiveled on her toes, her eyes widening themselves as she beheld the biggest and scariest bird she had ever seen. No— she had seen that creature before. It was the time that human girl appeared.

Crouching in front of them was a gigantic bird with dark wings. Only three long feathers, thicker and bigger than the others had a few streaks of red while its stomach, starting from the lower underside of its jaw to its belly was covered in white smaller ones. Its eyes was glowing like the crown of feathers on its head. And the massive claws connected to a pair of sturdy legs scratched against the soil restlessly.

Then, its head cocked ever so slightly as it gazed at them with hunger. Slowly, its large beak parted, the sharp hook of its tip glinted dangerously before a shrilling sound came out of its mouth. The pressure of the volume nearly splintered her ears and Eiko had to hold onto the branch before she fell dizzy to the ground.

"Tch. What an annoying sound." Sesshomaru said and leapt high above the ground. However, as he slashed his sword at the direction of the monster, an electric current sparked around the blade before his hand stilled in mid air. It seemed like the blunted side of his sword was cleaving against a transparent wall.

"A barrier." He muttered to himself. A barrier that Bakusaiga could not break.. "Interesting."

He landed softly on the ground where the mist had grown thicker and the stale smell of rotten meat became stronger. Then the smell changed as the did the color of the mist and its shape. Slowly, it turned into clouds of fire, circling him until it formed a cage.

Sesshomaru planted his sword in front of him just as a blue sheen of light flashed off the blade in a form of a two headed reptile. Its body rippling like water as it swashed through the cage of fire, even the ground cracked under its force and left a carve of broken pieces of rocks and tree roots protruding out of the ruin.

He stepped away from the destruction as if it was a mere scratch on the ground and walked slowly and almost leisurely toward the monster. But while he looked so composed, Bakusaiga, one the other hand, shook and rattled violently in his grasp, as if it was striving to control itself.

Sesshomaru raised his arm and savagely brought it down. A wave of light, wind, earth and other elements blazed ferociously through the air, bringing a new wreckage in its wake until it crashed against the barrier. It breached, and though the crack was small, Bakusaiga's power passed through and left a slash of wound across the stomach of the bird.

"Hmp." He muttered, displeased at the minor damage. His weapon was a killing tool, not a kitchen knife. However, the bird was more than displeased by it and opened its mouth to let out another shrilling scream.

Eiko placed the flat of her palms against her ears and ended up falling on the withered bushes below, her eyes swirling. Her friends came in just in time when a blazing fire came out along with another scream. And it engulfed Sesshomaru.

"Ahh!" The trio shouted in unison. The fire continued to rage like a scorching cyclone from hell, they could not even see a breadth of hair or the whites of his clothes.

"Stupid bird!" Eiko spat, now upset as she clambered to her feet and ran toward the monster.

"Eiko! Don't!" Her companions warned, but Eiko ignored them and stopped a safe distance away from the blazing fire.

Then, she placed her hands in front of her with her forefingers crossed while the others was tightly clenched in a fist. She raised her chin a few notch higher as her hair began to flow and wave around her, her bangs revealing a pair of bright green eyes that seemed to be swirling with stardust. And with the rest of her face revealed, the small sea dragon emblem on her forehead began to glow and the monster burst into green rage of fire.

The bird let out a scream and the fire that it spewed became big clouds of smokes.

The little demon waited until the smokes cleared. But the demon lord disappeared and in his place came in a ferocious beast, but Eiko did recognize the crescent moon on the its forehead and knew that he and the wolf were one in the same.

The little demon watched in awe as the beast stood high and mighty on its four legs. It had a thick white fur and a long mane weaving around its body. A pair of blood red eyes narrowed threateningly before a deep growl came out of clenched teeth so sharp that Eiko's jaw slackened. Her fangs looked like thin sticks compared to that.

The bird, who felt the same way, flew a few phases away from the beast and became restless as it flapped its wings. Sesshomaru let out a snarl and leaned down on his forelegs, ready to attack when the soft clinking sound of bell resonated around the forest. The bird then, looked up the sky as it spread its wings before it flew away and disappeared in mid air.

Sesshomaru returned to his humanoid form and regarded the place where the monster was standing a few seconds ago. Then, he walked to the place and knelt on one knee, his hand searching through the debris of stones and plants. He pulled out a piece of cloth and brushed the silky texture with his thumb.

"Heeey!" The little demon shouted, her hair was once again covering her eyes while she skipped, hopped, and jumped over the ruins around her. "Are you alright?" She said upon reaching Sesshomaru's side.

"Eiko, you pesky little runt!" The other two followed. "How many times do we have to tell you not to go anywhere without us?"

They stopped, heavily panting and all, beside the little demon who was frowning at the piece of cloth in Sesshomaru's hand. Then, she placed the tip of her finger against her pouting lips and turned to Sesshomaru.

"That," She pointed to the cloth, "belongs to the pretty lady!"

Her companions looked at the cloth and nodded their heads. It was small and ripped at the sides as if the wearer had been in a some kind of a struggle, but there was a discernible design of pink autumn leaves in the middle, although splotches of blood covered almost all of it.

Sesshomaru looked at her. Eiko instantly babbled about the person she was talking about. She told him about how they met. "She was lost. Just like you!" She grinned, although the latter statement was obviously absurd, Sesshomaru couldn't just knock her off like the way he often did to his servant whenever Jaken said something stupid. And so, Sesshomaru remained silent and only half listened to her.

"She's very beautiful! And her name is.. her name is," She said and frowned in confusion. Then, she turned to her companions with a pout.

The duo sighed in unison. "Akemi." The female one answered.

"Geez, you keep forgetting her name." The other one said before he glanced to his side. "She's getting old, right?"

"I'm not old!" Eiko said indignantly.

The female one bent forward, hands on hips. "Oh, yes, you are. You're twice our age and yet you act as if you were just born yesterday." She said and then shook her head in reprimand.

"You," She enunciated firmly, "can't just talk to anyone and you shouldn't even follow someone you don't even know!" She darted a glance at Sesshomaru who stood and stared at them.

"What happened to her?" He said to Eiko who looked up at him and didn't even hesitate to answer. "Two scary demons took her away." She ended her statement with a snarl, her fingers curving in front of her and her cute little fangs showing as if to copy the faces of the demons, though the extra effort weren't that helpful for Sesshomaru. Many demons looked scary after all.

"Ohh! And! And!" She added animatedly.

"H-Hey! What did I say? Don't talk to—

"I think that big ugly birdie's their pet!" Eiko stated.

"Ugh, she's not listening..." The other demon stooped in defeat. "A pet, huh?" Though the humongous bird couldn't be just a pet. It must be a war pet or some such, but she didn't say anymore. It doesn't matter anyway. The little she-devil would only ignore her.

"They have the same smell." Eiko stood on her tip toes and sniffed. Then, she tilted her head and smiled at Sesshomaru. "See?" She said. "Why don't you smell it?"

Sesshomaru didn't have to be told what to do. He already knew what the cloth smelled like without sniffing it like a dog, so he just stared at the little demon as if he couldn't decide whether to kill her or leave.

He chose the latter, but the damned creature grabbed a fistful of his mokomoko.

"Ahh! Eiko! Let go!" Her companions chided, the female one grabbed her shoulders while the other one watched Sesshomaru carefully, his hand hidden behind his back. No doubt holding a weapon.

"Are you going to save her?" Eiko said to the demon lord, her eyes hopeful.

Sesshomaru stared at her as if to intimidate her, but something in his expression softened before he turned away and uttered a simple 'No.'

Eiko let go of the white fluffy fur with disappointment shining in her eyes as though she was near to tears. The human must be really important to her, but she just stood there watching him walk away without saying anything in reply.

"Come on, let's go." Her friend whispered softly beside her. It was futile to follow him anymore, so Eiko turned around and walked the other way.

. . . .

"Hmmm." Hageshi murmured. "You're not lying, after all."

Senri chuckled. "I wouldn't dare." Then, she turned to face Higeshi's servant who was kneeling in front of them, her shirt had a big red stain of blood, and the tattoo on her shoulder fairly sizzled while she breathed shakily.

Senri took her gaze away from the woman and raised an incredulous brow at Higeshi. "You'd risk your companion's life to see if I was lying?" She scoffed. "I'd rather not think of what you'd do to a stranger like me if I displeased you so."

Hageshi, though, seemed uncaring, or rather unaware, that Yori was bleeding to death, in fact he looked maniacally thrilled for some reason. His eyes didn't even move to check up on her as though his mind was in a different dimension.

"That kind of power," He snickered. "As expected from the son of the great demon lord of the west."

"Told you so." The she-wolf huffed.

"And he managed to even break the barrier." He added, as if he hadn't heard her.

"Lord Sesshomaru has a new sword." Senri said proudly. "One that far surpassed even that of his father— From what I heard, that sword prevented Naraku from regenerating and it could kill a battalion in one strike."

Higeshi finally turned towards her. "He protects the girl, you said."

She nodded. "But I don't know why he sticks with her."

"Oh, I know." Higeshi said with a scornful laugh. Senri looked at him in curiosity.

"But that's something I'd rather not share with you." He said to her. Senri's eager face fell. "You said you'd help me get the girl in exchange for my mother's scrolls. But I only stick with one bargain at a time, unless, " he smiled. "You have something else to bargain for."

Senri clenched her teeth and said the word 'bastard' in her mind instead of voicing it outloud. Patience was generally lacking in her breed, but Senri would make an exception this time. After all, she couldn't risk loosing her only chance at immortality.

"Fine." She said evenly. "What do you have in mind?"

_To be continued._

_..._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

My original draft for this chapter didn't acutally include adorable demons the size of an elf, but somehow the story turned that way. It always amuses me to see Sesshomaru interacting with a cute child, but Rin's all grown up. So I added a character (quite on impulse) just to make the story a bit funny. Although, that's my initial reason for creating Eiko, she and her friends will appear again later on.

Senri came back and she's totally bitchy about Rin. What is she planning now with those two mysterious demons? And why are they after Rin anyway?

Akemi was still missing but now there's a clue on who kidnapped her (Higeshi and Yori). At the first part of this chapter, Higeshi's name was mentioned by Kazusa's mate. And as you all know, Kazusa is Rin's true mother. So, what's the catch?

Find out soon :)

_PS: I'm sorry for the late update. My friends and I went on a long vacation trip. It's summer now in our country, and I just can't resist the allure of waterfalls, exotic foods, and fresh air._


End file.
